Modern communication networks are growing in size and complexity. Given the highly competitive nature of the telecommunications industry, network service providers are increasingly relying on network performance as a key differentiator for delivering communication services. As the number of consumers increases and services evolve in sophistication, the performance of these networks can degrade, in part, from constraints of the network equipment. In many instances, the impact of network failures or even lapses in network performance can result in substantial monetary losses. Consequently, the ability to assess and improve upon network performance is a critical business component for service providers. Unfortunately, it is difficult to determine the types of errors that can negatively impact a network element and its associated networking technology (e.g., Ethernet). This is particularly challenging when the communication system encompasses a variety of domains (e.g., optical and electrical).
Therefore, there is a need for an approach that provides for error characterization within other networking domains.